Abstract
Current insights into the mosquito dehydration response rely on studies that examine specific responses but ultimately fail to provide an encompassing view of mosquito biology. Here, we examined underlying changes in the biology of mosquitoes associated with dehydration. Specifically, we show that dehydration increases blood feeding in the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, which was the result of both higher activity and a greater tendency to land on a host. Similar observations were noted for Aedes aegypti and Anopheles quadrimaculatus. RNA-seq and metabolome analyses in C. pipiens following dehydration revealed that factors associated with carbohydrate metabolism are altered, specifically the breakdown of trehalose. Suppression of trehalose breakdown in C. pipiens by RNA interference reduced phenotypes associated with lower hydration levels. Lastly, mesocosm studies for C. pipiens confirmed that dehydrated mosquitoes were more likely to host feed under ecologically relevant conditions. Disease modeling indicates dehydration bouts will likely enhance viral transmission. This dehydration-induced increase in blood feeding is therefore likely to occur regularly and intensify during periods when availability of water is low.
Highlights
Dehydration represents a significant factor that impacts the geographical distribution, reproductive capacity, and longevity of terrestrial arthropods[1,2,3,4]
For mosquitoes that act as malaria vectors, recent studies have examined molecular and physiological changes associated with dehydration or dry-season conditions[22,23,24]
Previous studies have identified many interesting aspects associated with the dynamics between dehydration and mosquito physiology, none have examined the effects of dehydration bouts on mosquito biology using integrative studies that range from behavior to utilization of RNA interference techniques to assess specific phenotypic changes
Summary
Dehydration represents a significant factor that impacts the geographical distribution, reproductive capacity, and longevity of terrestrial arthropods[1,2,3,4]. If water balance cannot be maintained, a complement of mechanisms is employed to prevent damage from osmotic stress These changes include increased expression of heat shock proteins[3,8,10,11], shifts in osmoprotectant metabolites[10,11,12,13], and differential regulation of aquaporins to alter the movement of water between the hemolymph and intracellular components[14,15,16]. Our study indicates that bouts of dehydration, either induced by dry conditions, mosquitoes not ingesting nectar or water, or a combination of both, alters the physiology and subsequent behavior of mosquitoes in a manner that has significant implications for mosquito-environment-blood feeding dynamics
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